NMPF Says Losing Immigrant Laborers Would Reduce Farm Numbers

News EditorDairy Business, Government, Industry News, Research

National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has released the results of a comprehensive national survey of the employment practices of America’s dairy farmers. The survey results found that they rely heavily on foreign‐born workers and the loss of which would cripple many farms, creating a ripple effect of job losses through the rural economy. A copy of the full survey can … Read More

Animal Antibiotics, Resistance and Human Health

Amanda NolzAnimal Health, Animal Welfare, Production, Research

Adam Anson, from TheDairySite, recently wrote an interesting article on use of antibiotics in animals, antibiotic resistance and how it relates to human health. This thorough report deals with both sides of the issue in an educational platform that reminds all of us just how far the agriculture industry has come. Antibiotics are a vital component to rearing healthy livestock, … Read More

Dairy Foods are Best Source of Calcium

News EditorDairy Checkoff, Health, Industry News, Milk, Nutrition, Research

A Purdue University study shows dairy foods have an advantage over calcium carbonate in promoting bone growth and strength. Connie Weaver, distinguished professor and head of the food and nutrition department, found that the bones of rats fed nonfat dry milk were longer, wider, more dense and stronger than those of rats fed a diet with calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate … Read More

Cow Genome Debuts

News EditorGenetics, Industry News, International, Research

Exiting news for dairymen and cattlemen! The genomes of man and dog have been joined in the scientific barnyard by the genome of the cow, an animal that walked beside them on the march to modern civilization. A team of hundreds of scientists working in more than a dozen countries yesterday published the entire DNA message — the genome — … Read More

Dairy Probiotics Could be Used for Vaccinations

News EditorHealth, Industry News, Research

This newly released study has a huge potential for dairy products – what a great idea! Instead of a dreaded injection with a needle, someday getting vaccinated against disease may be as pleasant as drinking a yogurt smoothie. A researcher from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has developed a new oral vaccine using probiotics, the healthy bacteria that … Read More

New Calcium Study Shows Promising Cancer-Fighting

News EditorHealth, Research

A study in nearly half a million older men and women bolsters evidence that diets rich in calcium may help protect against some cancers. The study was run jointly by the National Institutes of Health and AARP. The results appear in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine. The benefits were mostly associated with foods high in calcium, rather than calcium tablets. … Read More

New Johne’s Vaccine Developed

News EditorAnimal Health, Industry News, Research

Scientists at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine have developed a vaccine that prevents Johne’s disease, a condition that costs the dairy industry $220 million to $250 million annually. The breakthrough is published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Vaccine. The Cornell team identified and prepared the antigen necessary for the vaccine development. Their antigen is licensed to the … Read More

Calcium 'Taste' Discovered

News EditorResearch

The capability to taste calcium has now been discovered in mice. With these rodents and humans sharing many of the same genes, the new finding suggests that people might also have such a taste. The four tastes we are most familiar with are sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Recently scientists have discovered tongue molecules called receptors that detect a fifth … Read More

New Studies Show Dairy Helps with Weight

News EditorHealth, Industry News, International, Research

A diet high in dairy calcium may aid weight loss, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity. Dr Judith Bryans, Director of the Dairy Council and Registered Nutritionist said: “Previous studies have shown that consuming low-fat dairy, as part of a calorie controlled diet, may have a beneficial effect on weight, but how it may … Read More

More Dairy in Diet May Boost Fat Burning

News EditorDairy Checkoff, Health, Research

Eating plenty of dairy foods may help people who are trying to maintain their weight to burn more fat and eat more calories without putting on excess pounds, according to new research published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism. The study, funded by the National Dairy Council, didn’t find that eating the recommended three servings of dairy food each day … Read More